Solo: A Star Wars Story - Surprisingly Good Actually
The title says it all, folks. I am surprised that I enjoyed the new Star Wars movie as much as I did. Combining an effectively crafted script and characters with good performances and the usual impressive effects and cinematography, the results of Solo: A Star Wars Story ended up being much more fun than anticipated. And honestly, considering the other Disney efforts, that's good enough for me right now.
Unlike the majority of the series, it works surprisingly well as a self-contained story, so it is the first that may please both newcomers and the die-hards. How the drama with Ron Howard replacing the original directors affects the film is unclear, but the star of the cinematic display is the plot. Solo is merely a thrilling sci-fi antihero adventure tale that just happens to fit as an origin story for Han Solo. The balance of good filmmaking and fan service is at its best yet, and even the many pieces taken from older films seem threaded into the movie instead of thrown in for fans to smirk at. The thing that distinguishes this movie (and any good movie) is that the characters have very believable motivations, and thus their actions and consequences fit into their character rather than as pawns for plot point development. [As an aside, I would like to point out this is something only seasoned vet Lawrence Kasdan has accomplished in a Star Wars film]
Once all these qualities are established, the film just becomes way more entertaining. An action sci-fi movie should have the feeling of real danger, which is hard (for me) to grasp if you do not care about the characters or story. Another aid to this is the unsurprisingly good performances of Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, and Paul Bettany. Supporting characters frequently either carry or deaden a film, and this is no exception. Emilia Clarke's character Qi'ra, without spoiling anything, actually has a fully realized character arc, and she does the subtleties of her character wonders. Woody Harrelson and Paul Bettany also take the opportunity to show off their acting chops, effectively filling their screen time with a balance of subtlety and turn-on-a-dime sharpness. The relatively new faces of Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover look great in a big budget film as well, so here's hoping that their Solo performances grant them some more good roles.
Since everyone who watches Star Wars has to rank them for some reason, I am willing to say that Solo is my favorite of the new 2010s Star Wars movies. Probably better than the prequels too. As you have probably already heard, you have to accept that this movie is a little outside the Star Wars norm to enjoy it (I would imagine that's because Harrison Ford is not Solo for the first time ever). Honestly, if you do not already enjoy the trappings of the genre, you probably will not like it either. For me, I could not care less; a good movie is a good movie, and the more filmmakers cater to that fact, the more the industry will follow the stronger trends. Here's my rating:
💛💛💛🖤 - 3/4
Now with fun emojis <3
Unlike the majority of the series, it works surprisingly well as a self-contained story, so it is the first that may please both newcomers and the die-hards. How the drama with Ron Howard replacing the original directors affects the film is unclear, but the star of the cinematic display is the plot. Solo is merely a thrilling sci-fi antihero adventure tale that just happens to fit as an origin story for Han Solo. The balance of good filmmaking and fan service is at its best yet, and even the many pieces taken from older films seem threaded into the movie instead of thrown in for fans to smirk at. The thing that distinguishes this movie (and any good movie) is that the characters have very believable motivations, and thus their actions and consequences fit into their character rather than as pawns for plot point development. [As an aside, I would like to point out this is something only seasoned vet Lawrence Kasdan has accomplished in a Star Wars film]
Once all these qualities are established, the film just becomes way more entertaining. An action sci-fi movie should have the feeling of real danger, which is hard (for me) to grasp if you do not care about the characters or story. Another aid to this is the unsurprisingly good performances of Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, and Paul Bettany. Supporting characters frequently either carry or deaden a film, and this is no exception. Emilia Clarke's character Qi'ra, without spoiling anything, actually has a fully realized character arc, and she does the subtleties of her character wonders. Woody Harrelson and Paul Bettany also take the opportunity to show off their acting chops, effectively filling their screen time with a balance of subtlety and turn-on-a-dime sharpness. The relatively new faces of Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover look great in a big budget film as well, so here's hoping that their Solo performances grant them some more good roles.
Since everyone who watches Star Wars has to rank them for some reason, I am willing to say that Solo is my favorite of the new 2010s Star Wars movies. Probably better than the prequels too. As you have probably already heard, you have to accept that this movie is a little outside the Star Wars norm to enjoy it (I would imagine that's because Harrison Ford is not Solo for the first time ever). Honestly, if you do not already enjoy the trappings of the genre, you probably will not like it either. For me, I could not care less; a good movie is a good movie, and the more filmmakers cater to that fact, the more the industry will follow the stronger trends. Here's my rating:
💛💛💛🖤 - 3/4
Now with fun emojis <3
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